1. Field
The inventive concept relates to a light source unit, a method of fabricating the light source unit and a backlight assembly including the light source unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Display devices are devices for visually displaying image data. Examples of display devices include a liquid crystal display (“LCD”), an electrophoretic display, an organic light-emitting diode (“OLED”) display, an inorganic electroluminescent (“EL”) display, a field emission display (“FED”), a surface-conduction electron-emitter display (“SED”), a plasma display and a cathode ray tube (“CRT”) display.
An LCD, which is a type of display device, includes a liquid crystal layer disposed between two transparent substrates and displays an image by driving the liquid crystal layer so as to adjust the optical transmittance of the liquid crystal layer in pixels.
Since the liquid crystal layer cannot emit light, a light source unit is provided in the LCD, and contrast is realized by adjusting the intensity of light transmitted through the liquid crystal layer. More specifically, the light source unit is installed in a backlight assembly, which is an important part of the LCD for determining the quality of an image displayed by the LCD, such as luminance and uniformity.
The light source unit, which is used in the backlight assembly, may include a light source emitting blue light and a phosphor disposed on the light source and transforming blue light into white light, and may thus be able to provide white light to the liquid crystal layer.
However, there is a limit in improving the color purity of light simply by using typical phosphors.
Quantum dots may be used, instead of typical phosphors, to convert the wavelength of light emitted from a light source. Quantum dots are nano-crystals formed of a semiconductor material and exhibit quantum confinement effects. Since quantum dots emit more intense light within a narrow wavelength band than typical phosphors, the color purity of light emitted from a light source unit can be further improved.
However, when quantum dots are disposed near a light source, they may deteriorate due to heat from the light source, and thus need to be placed away from the light source more than a predetermined distance.
Also, since quantum dots are highly expensive, the manufacturing cost of a display device including a backlight assembly with quantum dots formed integrally at the front of a light source unit is generally high. Accordingly, a method is needed to provide quantum dots only at places necessary.